The Bears have long been regarded as the franchise of linebackers, but the best player at the position in the 2020 NFL Draft, and arguably the best defensive player in the entire class, could be headed to another team in the NFC North this April.
Clemson's hybrid stud Isaiah Simmons wowed onlookers at the 2020 NFL Combine on Saturday with his ridiculous workout that can only be described as freakish.
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Simmons has long been considered a lock to be a top 10 pick, but after Saturday's performance, there's a chance he can end up in Detroit and become the centerpiece of the Lions defense for years to come.
Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah is the popular choice for the Lions in most NFL mock drafts, but that's likely to change over the next couple of months. Simmons, whose skill set is equal parts pass-rusher, run-defender and coverage ace, checks every box (with flying colors) that defensive coordinators pray for. Literally.
Simmons possesses the rare ability to stay on the field in any situation. He can be called upon for any task. Rush the passer? He can do it. Cover a playmaking tight end? He'll take him out of the game. Stick on the hip of a pass-catching running back out of the backfield? Consider it done. He can even drop back to the third level of the defense and provide top-tier play as a safety.
Simmons may be the most versatile linebacker to enter the NFL since Brian Urlacher, and we all know how that worked out. He's built differently than Urlacher, but his impact against today's offenses has the potential to be the same. And that's a scary thought, especially for a Bears team that will have to face him twice a year.
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A lot can happen between now and April, including Detroit using Simmons' lure as a potential trade-down opportunity. But if they stay put at No. 3 overall, Bears fans need to hope Matt Patricia and the Lions front office prioritizes Okudah or even Auburn's Derek Brown over Simmons. Otherwise, it'll be a long decade of divisional matchups against a Detroit club that hasn't had a playmaker like Simmons on their defense in, well, forever.